Loppis

Loppis is the Swedish term for garage or yard sale. They take place through out the country and while are the same concept as yard sales (used items for a discount price), they are also a bit different. While people who are moving or cleaning out their house can have a loppis, some times loppis’ are permanent. These can also be in people’s yards who are located near a highway (and get a lot of drive by traffic). I’ve also seen them in small town grocery stores! Usually in the summer a town will host a loppis where people can pay for a spot, bring their stuff, and try to sell it.

So where does the Swedish word loppis come from? It comes from the word loppmarknad, which means “Flea Market”. “En loppa” is a flea, and apparently the clothes one would get at the very first Swedish flea markets would be infested with fleas, hence the name.

Loppis in Stockholm

Recently while we were in Stockholm we came across a very cool loppis in gamla stan (Old Town). This loppis was very cool as it was just rooms and rooms and rooms full of stuff!

So if you are in the area of old town and want to check out a crazy large loppis, I recommend you go! The guy who ran it, Dan, was very nice (spoke perfect English, as do most Swedes), and will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Its on Karls Gränd, or Karls alley, and is hard to miss as it almost spills out on the street. If you get lost you can call Dan, he will help you find your way.